Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

“X should not be taught before college” (whatever topic is x and whatever level you choose) is likely to be preached by someone who doesn’t know the topic or the students… at least that’s what I observed over 40 years.

Clocks seem simple and harmless, but they control much that humans do.

“Humans are blind to the truth.” Some sure are.

How many AI authors observe “AI will be the tutor of the future” on one page and “ teachers won’t go away on the next?” I’ve noticed it in several books.

Too much data inhibits good decision making.

Reading book on technology from 30 years ago, and the author pokes fun at the suggestion that “meetings will take place over video connections.”

Maybe we reject “data-driven” decisions in favor of good decisions.

No IT professional wants users of their systems to be ineffective and complaining. They need to listen to those complaints to make them go away, however.

For those making IT decisions for teaching and learning in schools, the unpredictable nature of classrooms with students, teachers, and varying curriculum can contradict what they know about planning, testing, and deploying technology systems.

Sending an email that says, "I just emailed you...." are more annoying than those who reply all. Reply all can be done by accident.

I got a text from a participant in a Zoom meeting today. They said, "What you jut said makes so much sense." I responded, "I have work in ___ for 40 years , I have a lot of experience responding to dumb ideas." What field fills in the blank?

The role of IT professionals in schools is to ensure the infrastructure is in place to get the bits to where they need to be. It's simple in principle; complex in reality.

Humans have a long history with technology. It is reasonable to conclude that humans and their technologies cannot be separated. Without our tools, our species would not have become the Earth-altering species we have become.

I'm amazed at the number of folks who think surveys are the best way to measure everything.

"Hey, let's disaggregate the data into groups so small we can all figure out who the respondents are."

Leaders: Here is some data that will not help you. Plan how you can improve your performance.
Workers: Um... it really can't it is very much removed from our work and goals.
Later...
Leaders: Can you explain why we don't see any improvements in these data? We asked you how to fix it, and you didn't.

We always assume we are certain of the goal. That is a mistake.

“The central purpose of technologies has not been to provide necessities, such as food and shelter, for humans had achieved these goals very early in their existence.” -David Nye

Spend as much time thinking about what might go wrong as you spend thinking about what might "will" right.

"No other technology ever took over every job."
But there is always a first time.